In a new decree, the Syrian Ministry of Education has imposed Arabic-language education in areas where the majority of the population is Kurdish.
This move by Damascus has triggered a widespread wave of protests among the citizens of Kurdistana Rojava (Western Kurdistan) and is being described as a blatant attempt to erase the national and linguistic identity of the region.
According to the Ministry of Education’s decision, issued on August 27 of this year, the educational curriculum in Kurdish-populated areas will transition entirely to Arabic.
The Kurdish language will be reduced to merely three hours a week, alongside one hour dedicated to various activities.
This decision comes despite the fundamental changes the educational system in these areas has undergone over the past ten years.
Rosev Ali, a 10th-grade student who has spent her entire academic life studying in Kurdish, is one of thousands of students whose future will be directly impacted by the decree.
She explains that after ten years of learning in her mother tongue, starting over in Arabic is an incredibly difficult task for her and her classmates.
Speaking on the sidelines of the protests, Rosev sent a clear message to the authorities, stating that while they have had to give up many rights due to the difficult circumstances of this era, they are absolutely not willing to give up the Kurdish language.
On the other hand, Arshak Baravi, a veteran Kurdish language teacher who has been teaching the language secretly since 1986, views the government’s decision as a massive mistake and a clear indication of bad faith.
This teacher, who has been arrested multiple times by Syrian authorities in the past for teaching Kurdish, believes the government wants to hollow out the language by reducing class hours and regaining total control over the educational process.
It is not only students and teachers who are deeply concerned; parents share this profound anxiety.
Among the protesters was a father accompanied by his two children, holding their textbooks, emphasising his children’s fundamental right to study in their mother tongue.
Qadar Mohammed Ali, one of the young students, resolutely affirmed that he wishes to continue his education exclusively in the Kurdish language.
The conflict between the Kurds and the central Syrian government over the issue of language has a long and painful history. For decades, the Kurdish language was banned in Syrian schools and official institutions, and individuals like Arshak Baravi faced imprisonment and torture simply for teaching it.
Following 2011 and the ensuing political shifts in the region, the Kurds of Rojava managed to establish their own independent educational system. However, the Syrian Ministry of Education’s new decision signals a renewed attempt by Damascus to reassert absolute control and roll back the cultural achievements gained in recent years.